Natural History Wanderings

Flowers are still blooming and the birds are active.

Although not officially fall, many people feel summer and the wildflower season is over. I like to go to Abbotts Lagoon often as there are always many things to see throughout the year.  There were many flowers in bloom and birds in flight.  The flowers seemed further along than last year at this time.  If you are looking for large displays you will be disappointed; if you are looking for lots of species you will be glad you went. Two highlights were the White Pelicans flying overhead and seeing the Point Reyes Rein Orchid Piperia elegans ssp. decurtata which is on the CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants on list 1B.1 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere). The Point Reyes Rein Orchid is only found at Pt. Reyes according to Calflora and CNPS lists.  As usual this time of  the year many of the best flowers are in the sand  and dunes areas.

Driving out to Point Reyes there were displays of Tarweeds in bloom at Big Rock Ridge on the way out in the morning. In the afternoon they had all closed and none were visible when driving home.

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Plant List for Abbott’s Lagoon 9/3/11

California Poppy
Yarrow
Cow Parsnip
Lotus
Tarweed
alien thistles
Cowweb Thistle
Coyote bush
Hedge Nettle
Goldenrod
Aster, Purple
Pennyroyal
Pearly Everlasting
Marsh Hedge Nettle
Candy flower
Musk Monkeyflower
Common Monkeyflower
Small-flowered Linanthus
Sand Verbena
Rocket
Coast Buckwheat
Pink Aquatic Knotweed
Beach Sun Cup
Mock Heather
Dune Gum Plant
Sea-bluff Lettuce
Seaside Dandelion
Beach Sagebrush
Curly-leaved Monardella
Sea Thrift
Beach Knotweed
Heliotrope
Cinquefoil Musk

 Bird List for Abbott’s Lagoon  9/3/11

Raven
Song Sparrow
White-Crowned Sparrow
California Quail
Great Egret
White Pelican
Scrub Jay
Turkey Vulture
Gulls (unidentified, but likely included Western Gulls)
Red-winged Blackbird
Snowy Egret
American Goldfinch

Also seen and identified was a Mylitta Crescent Butterfly